Employers and Employees Share Their Insights on Workplace Wellness

As part of 2010’s second annual National Employee Wellness Month, employers and employees across the country were asked to provide their insights and opinions on workplace wellness, preventive health behaviors, and the effectiveness of workplace wellness programs. And the results are in:

DOWNLOAD A SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS

EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES AGREE: EMPLOYERS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENCOURAGE PREVENTATIVE, HEALTHY BEHAVIORS IN THE WORKPLACE

  • More than 62% of employers agree
  • Nearly 85% of employees agree

EMPLOYER INSIGHTS

HEALTHCARE COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE FOR CORPORATIONS; EMPLOYERS BELIEVE MULTIPLE FACTORS DRIVE INCREASES

  • 89% report costs have increased in the last year
  • Of this group, 40% report costs increased by between 6-10% while 35% report costs increased by more than 11%
  • Top perceptions of key cost-driving factors include:
    • 65.4% Rising medical inflation
    • 55.9% Rising pharmaceutical costs
    • 45.1% Rising hospital costs
    • 37.2% Overall decline in the health of general workforce as a result of increase in chronic conditions

DECREASES IN HEALTHCARE COSTS DERIVED FROM HEALTH PLAN CHANGES, WELLNESS PROGRAMS, AND COST-SHIFTING STRATEGIES

  • Of the 8.5% of employers who reported cost decreases,
    • 36% attribute decreases to either eliminating coverage or changing plans
    • 25% attribute decreases to the implementation of a workplace wellness program
    • 23% attribute decreases to shifting costs to employees

MIXED PERCEPTIONS ABOUT IMPACT OF HEALTHCARE REFORM ON WELLNESS

  • More than 43% of employers “closely watched” healthcare reform deliberations before shaping corporate wellness initiatives
  • Nearly 35% of employers didn’t wait for the outcome of healthcare reform and moved forward with implementing employee health initiatives

EMPLOYEE INSIGHTS

TOP 3 PROGRAMS EMPLOYEES WOULD MOST LIKELY PARTICIPATE IN IF OFFERED BY THEIR EMPLOYERS

  • 66.5% On-site fitness centers
  • 64.1% On-site healthy food options
  • 54.7% Programs that promote physical activity

KEY BENEFITS EMPLOYEES ARE EXPERIENCING FROM THEIR WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAMS

  • 85% Increased physical activity
  • 70.4% More energy / better sense of overall health
  • 54.4% Weight loss / lower BMI

WORKPLACE AS A SOCIAL COMMUNITY AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT ARE INFLUENTIAL FACTORS IN EMPLOYEE HEALTH

  • 74% of employees report they’d be more willing to adopt healthy behaviors if their colleagues were doing so
  • 60% of employees would adopt healthier behaviors if company executives were leading by example and doing so